Tag Archives: Donald Trump

In today’s edition of the American Journal, The Atlantic,James Fallows’ article “It’s Been an Open Secret All Along” raises the preternatural possibility that Trump was voted in as President in spite of it being an open secret that Trump was not only unqualified to perform the job but also rank incompetent.

What warning indicators were blinking ominously and why do intelligent commentators ignore those signals?

Main picture: Donald Trump with former Chief Strategist Steve Bannon in more amicable times

In many ways, Donald Trump has the dubious distinction of being the alter ego of Il Duce, Benito Mussolini. Typifying his approach is to declare that he is the greatest, the smartest and the best at everything. Such as bombastic, narcissistic, bragging and bullying demeanour is a divisive technique for a leader. At best he was suppress dissent but will never win an argument through cogent reasoning.

Much more troubling is what his speech indicates about his neurological condition with its emotional equivalent of a five-year-old.

After being woken at 2am by the hospital to report that my wife’s condition had deteriorated and was now on a ventilator, I had no option but to watch the American Presidential Debate on CNN as I was unable to sleep.

How could Trump absolve himself from the controversy swirling around him regarding an offensive, lewd, lascivious comment which objectifies and demeans women? How did Trump handle such a crass comment? Did this debate merely confirm my previous opinions of the candidates and would it shift America’s public opinion?

Egotistical, bullying and bombastic behaviour are three traits that do not endear me to a person. In an instant, my hackles rise and I am repulsed; such is my disgust. Even a profound message is muted by my intense annoyance. Nobody wants to be assailed by the arrogant, haughty & vainglorious attitude of somebody who disregards one’s opinions and is dismissive of one’s viewpoint as if they are the font of all wisdom.

Besides this, Trump lacks a basic understanding on most issues. At best, his knowledge can be categorised as superficial. One may be critical of his opponent, Hillary Clinton, but the one aspect that one cannot criticise her for, is a lack of a comprehensive understanding of the issues at hand.

Yet, this is the man who could soon be the leader of the free world, with his finger on the nuclear trigger.

Donald Trump is not one’s stereotypical version of a politician. He does not fit the mould but not in an iconoclastic manner. He abhors the existing rules of the game. His public persona is the very antithesis of a polished politician – brash, bombastic, rude, disingenuous to the point of absurdity and with no sartorial sense at all. Whereas other politicians will appease all potential voter groups from the greenie-beanies, the homosexuals, the working mothers, the bleeding heart liberals, the war weary, the gung-ho militarists, the Black Americans, the Asian Americans. The list is endless. If even one vote can be gained for any of the 1000s of groups, the candidate will promise them some gravy as well.

What is the inevitable result: a plethora of innocuous platitudes, polished inoffensive sound bites and generous financial benefits. If the potential costs of meeting all these promises were rigorously costed, the nation would be bankrupted in short order. Would it even be possible to achieve even a fraction of the goals set and promises made?